Saturday, August 19, 2006

I'm off to Orlando shortly

The National Organization for Victim Assistance conference awaits, but there's still time to take the survey (we've got about 60 responses so far which gives us about 30% probability of random error (pretty crappy) - a few more and we can punch that down:

I wrote my brother and said, "ya it's kind of like if someone came forward and said, "don't blame O.J., I killed Nicole and Ron"", to which my brother replied, "ya, but I never thought the Ramsey's did it."

Problem is, I did.

I never really followed the case. My brother did, he had all those John Douglas books on it - never a big fan of Douglas' books myself. But I bought into the perception fed by the media that the Ramsey's had something to hide. It is amazing the things we accept for truth based on what others have told us. I wonder how that investigation worked? The case had been quiet for some time. The police probably backed way off, distanced themselves from the circus and focused on fundamentals.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Candy and Criminology

Never has a question generated such interest.

Look people, have you ever been to one of these victims things? They can be pretty emotionally overwhelming. In the past I've spoken on my own experience, then general topics on victims issues: I found the whole experience pretty unrewarding for presenter and presenterer? (presentee?).

Anyway, so this time I chose a very fundamental topic that I felt could help victims and people who work with victims: my presentation is Survey Preparation and Data Analysis.The point is to provide VSPs some basic, guerrilla concepts about conducting a survey and analyzing the data. The candy survey is meant to provide them with an example of how to conduct a survey, and some of the basic mistakes you can make if you don't know what you are doing (The survey I posted has several holes in it in terms of completely surveying a hypothesis / concept / subject of interest.)

I purposely chose "candy" because it is a non-offensive topic that will allow people to focus on the basics (If I posted something on the death penalty everyone would get bogged down in their own personal baggage that they bring to that issue and miss the basic concepts behind the discussion.)

But, there is method behind the madness. Every research model needs a question, a hypothesis. My question is "Do people have an emotional response to food?", now you can extrapolate that into a research hypothesis like, "People have a strong emotional response to candy" or "Women have a stronger emotional response to chocolate than men". Then you use a survey as a research tool to test the hypothesis: get it?

Can you see how you can extend this out to all kinds of questions about criminology / victimology? It's fun! Experimental models are the foundation of research; and the beauty is you don't have to have a PhD to do them.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

To-Do ListAlright, I'll take M.M. up on her offer. Because she's right: my request for "da search" was a goof and I was completely blind-sided how it turned out (had I known the publicity it would have created I would have requested it four years ago).

Here are some things I'd like to see get done. No one is obligated to do any of this, but if it motivates you - go for it:

1. "Freedom of Information" requests are always welcome, on a list of well know players (Allore, Champlain College, suspects, etc...)

2. I would love a copy of the Poitras report. I've asked the government, Gazette reporters, some reps in Ottawa: no soap. Anyone who can get their hands on this just-under-2000-pages baby gets a gold star in my book.

3. Letters to Quebec reps (Charest, Ministers of Justice and Publice Security) inquiring about the status of the Allore investigation, or status of establishing a cold-case bureau would be nice.

5. My brother wants to go back to the site of the first search, but he's too spooked to go alone - any takers? (No, it's not "Win a date with Andre")

6. There's a utility shed in Sherbrooke, north of where Louise Camirand disappeared: break into it, collect DNA, solve the case (this one is it's own reward).

7. Almanach du Crime au Quebec: I have the 1979 and 1980 editions: Where there other editions published? Who knows. This would be a prized Christmas present (hey, how happy were my xmas' after 1978?)... They were originally edited by "Lenoil Inc" with photos by Photo Police... oh yeah!

8. Start a campaign! Force Maclains to make campus security a criteria in their annual university rankings.

Personally I always felt this was a crock since Maclean's only ranks based on academics and doesn't include any criteria for campus safety.

Here are the mighty eleven:

Dalhousie UniversityMcMaster UniversitySimon Fraser UniversityUniversity of AlbertaUniversity of British ColumbiaUniversity of CalgaryUniversity of LethbridgeUniversity of ManitobaUniversite de MontrealUniversity of OttawaUniversity of Toronto

Saturday, August 12, 2006

An old friend and media-guy from L.A. has asked me some questions about Theresa. My responses are IN BOLD. I thought I'd share them with you - they're good questions and reveal some good info (can you guess where this is leading?) If I've missed anything please let me know:

Please let me know current availability/accessibility on your end of the following, and please be as specific as possible: Video (1/2; 3/4, airchecks/digitized/quicktime files) of interviews (broadcast & otherwise), events (e.g. July 2006 Search):

Lots of Interviews with W-5, the CBC, etc... I don't think the search was video taped (some of it was by media). A good friend of Theresa's - would be the best for getting you this: he has compiled a lot of taped info into concise dvds.

Any 8mm films of Theresa in existence:

Much... volumes. I have it on video, but the transfer is really poor. For someone willing to work with it. I also possess the original 8mm films (thery are in Amelia's closet)

Highest quality possible for all Audio (radio interviews, etc) & any available transcripts of same:

Gosh, I'm terrible with this, people tell me it's out there but I don't know where to look. It would be easy to get a hold of when the time was right. The CBC is anal about keeping this stuff (I hear the "As It Happens" interview from last Monday was really good)

Photographs of principals w/brief bios:

Ya, I could compile all this:Allore family

(tones of this)

Surete du Quebec

(difficult, but not impossible. I have archival stuff from Allo Police (the "Confidential" of Quebec) with Roch Gauldreault - but also great period stuff of the other victims (really graphic and disturbing). Originals are available from the National Library in Montreal on microfiche, and you can sign it out. For instance, I ordered 2 years worth of reels of the stuff; they shipped it to me here in Carolina and I viewed it all at the local library - I mean the pictures alone are such a great great time capsule of a culture of violence from the 70s.

Champlain College, Sherbrooke

Yup, great photos of the principal players (I have photo copies, but better quality is available through libraries)

Families of other suspected victims directly related to TA case

I've never asked, but it doesn't hurt to ask

Families of other suspected victims directly related to Louise Camirand and Manon Dube

See above: lots of stuff available: The Dube's are cooperative; the Camirands, not so much - they'd like to forget about it.

Investigators involved 1978-2006

As I said, I've got period photos of Roch, and tape of him from 2002. The others? Oooh... tricky. P.I. Robert Buellac: I've got two good photos of him... and I've got a couple of Lennoxville police chief Leo Hamel.

There is not any footage: but we have all the evidence so you could document it.

Any documentation/statistics detailing the number of cold cases nationwide in both the US and Canada

Available from StatsCan and the American DOJ stats: no secret.

Recommendations for any books/websites/materials you feel relevant and useful to topic(s):

Shit, I could go on all day with this...

Books (in no particular order):

1. My two copies of "Almanacs du Crimes au Quebec", 1978, 1979 given to me by P.I. Robert Buellac just before he died. Out of print, french, invaluable. You don't need to know the language to get the gist... the photos are stunning. I will loan them to you, but be aware: I prize these items!

2. Patricia Pearson's When She Was Bad (about female murderers). You get to know P and it's such a fun read.

3. Robert Ressler, Whoever Fights Monsters: from cover to cover, baby... from cover to cover.

4. You know what an Ellroy-head I am, but re-read "Stephanie" in Destination: Morgue!

5. Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me was a huge influence; before and since.

6. Alan Young's Justice Defiled: you must, YOU MUST read it. Alan is a Canadian attorney who completely understands the Canadian criminal justice system (and the book's a hoot)

7. Skim The Afterlife Experiments by Gary Schwartz with particular attention to Laurie Campbell (who lives in your neck of the woods)... I've been keeping secrets and this is a path you might want to look at.

8. Skim or be familar with any of the works of Kathy Reichs (you know, that Bones show on tv). Kathy made some important introductions for me.

9. If you have a french reader available... Jo-Anne Wemmers academic book, Introduction a la Victimologie is a good overview of the situation in Quebec. Jo Anne is bilingual, a professor at the U of Montreal, a friend and a good academic to talk with.

10. Yves Theriault - Tout Le Monde Dehors!. Again, if someone knows french: a good overview of the problem of early parole in Canada

11. For grins: Mary Roach: Stiff and Spook. Look, she's Canadian and lives in Oakland, if you could get her interested and documented it would be a coup.

12. Skim Deborah Spongeon's (sp... yes, Nancy's mom) Homicide: the hidden victims: A good look at what we go through.

OK! Websites!

1. Google Kim Rossmo and read up on the basics of his theories on geographic profiling.2. There's a Montreal criminologist named Eric Beauregard: he helped us a lot and his papers might be worth reading.

3. Take a look at the Pierre Boisvenu's group: http://www.afpad.ca/ The man knows every crime victim in Quebec. Highly popular and a good friend.4. Because Kim R was so tied to it, you should know the basics of the Robert Pickton case (prolific s.k. : 61 victims and counting) check out: http://www.missingpeople.net/home.html

9. Ontario's Resolve Initiative (http://www.opp.ca/Investigative/UnidentifiedRemains/index.htm) is brilliant (match cold cases with unidentified human remains): this is text book of what should be done and so obvious it's a wonder no one else has thought of it. Plus the guy who runs it, Officer Kim Peters, is an ally, friend, frequently teaches using Theresa's case as an example

Miscellaneous Questions Who specifically do you believe should be a focus of the piece in terms of interviews, and specifically why?

I was hoping you'd ask that. If I were doing it? This would be my dream interview list:

1. Friends of Theresa: they are primary sources3. My brother, mother or father

4. Sue Sutherland (the student from U of Montreal who organized the search)

5. Pierre Boisvenu (hugely popular: can give you overview of Quebec political situation)

6. ANYBODY with a pulse at the Surete du Quebec

11. A number of journalists with the Montreal Gazette (Paul Cherry, etc... they get the picture)

12. Kristian Gravenor: a journalist in Montreal who studies the Quebec underbelly (he will give you gold)

14. Micheal Surprenant, Marcel Bolduc, Christian Caretta (french fathers who have lost daughters in Quebec - they will tell you the frustrations of victimology in Quebec)

American Big Guns who will help:

1. Deborah Spongeon (a maverick, but well respected)

2. Dr. Marlene Young (current president of the World Society of Victimology - an incredible speaker and interview)

3. Steve Twist (Victim and victim's rights lawyer from Phoenix (- Arizona is the most progessive of states in victims rights)

4. John Walsh (I'm totally serious)

What are three things about Theresa's case that are the most surprising?

1. That it could have been solved.2. That there are so many assaults, murders, events associated with it.

3. That the police have been and still are completely inept: I will elaborate:

a/ When Patricia Pearson and I were talking about geographic profiling in 2002 (in those articles) the police didn't have a clue what we were talking about.

b/ Patricia and I were doing profiling before the Quebec police even knew what it was. Quebec didn't have it's first profiler until 2003: Eric Latour, the investigator assigned to Theresa in 2002: he didn't meet or learn of Rossmo's teachings until 2004 (we were way ahead of them)

c/ What I wrote yesterday about the Bouchard girl (the police don't get the complete picture)

4. To learn that she was studying to be a criminologist was quite a shock.

What are five things about Theresa that come to mind when you think of her?

1. Smart-ass, funny: her smart mouth probably got her killed.2. Non-judgemental: she accepted everybody, EVERYBODY as equals (which explains why she treated a goofy-fat kid like me so completely without bias) - she knew you could learn from everybody.

3. (this one must go in tandum with numner 2): Huge bullshit detector: she was not some rose colored glasses person. She could see through a scam like no one I've known, and would not tollerate stupidity.

4. Rebel: she was my definition of cool then and now. huge influence on me (especially in terms of culture / sociology / music)

5. Theresa was a ham (wonder where I got that from?): when my dad saw her on the cover of Canada's National Post, August 10th, 2002 (my mother's birthday), his reaction was, "I always knew she'd make it big".

What are three aspects of the case that are not generally/publicly known? (This is of course in confidence)

Nope: that's for me and my friend! (I gave him four!)

Within the next 12 months as best you can determine, any key upcoming events germain as to either the specific investigation or related topics (e.g. court hearings/rulings/symposiums/speeches/demonstrations, etc.) when, where and why

1. The NOVA conference in Florida in two weeks is tersiary (sp) but interesting: Ron Goldman's sister will be there, that girl from Aruba's mother will be there. It is the first time that NOVA and the World Society of Victimology is convening at the same time: should be quite a scene.

2. CAVA (Canadian Association for Victim Asst) is meeting in October in Toronto. A who's who of canadian victims, etc... (you could pull off mulitiple interviews in one shot if you got it together).

3. The Robert Pickton trial in B.C, begins in January: this is the biggest event in canadian criminal justice history.

4. As I said, we may do a search in Quebec in the fall.

5. Pierre Boisvenu's group AFPAD will be having two semi-annual meetings in Quebec over the next 12 months.

6. At some point the Quebec gov will make an announcement about wether they will fund a cold-case squad.

7. We are waiting for results from the B.C. lab. If anything comes of it: if the bones turn out to be human - it will be a sensation.

8. By the end of September I will have a draft of a chapter that I am contibuting to an acedemic book on criminal investigative failures (edited by K Rossmo, to be published in the UK)

Also worth noting, when the body was found in Warwick I believe the SQ initially suspected suicide. I suppose their reasoning made some sense (she was found about 2 kilometers into the woods and apparently died there- again the "least effort principle": why go so far to murder someone?), but then why were her pants down?

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Hello. It's Friday again. Although I'm supposed to keep these things light and in the 70s, I feel like an 80s style rant.

Let's talk about ...

The Death of New Wave and the Birth of the Crooner

See I have this theory. People ask What Killed New Wave? and I usually hear Metal, Springsteen, or the fact that you can't market it. But none of that's true.

The Crooner killed New Wave.

When Gordon Sumners traded in his jump suit for Versace, when Paul Weller courted Smokey Robinson and a smoking jacket, when Elvis Costello gave up being angry and started singing in multiple keys and octaves... I clocked out.

Captain Tantric, or is it that guy from The Seventh Seal?

Paul! We liked The Jam, what was wrong with copping that Kinks sound with an angry edge? Sting! Do you really have to make that verse fit into the meter of an Italian sonnet? And David Byrne - ok, I cut the guy a wide birth 'cause My Life In the Bush of Ghosts is still relevant; responsible for that techno sound Cher and Radiohead have so profited upon - but did you have to started sounding like Antonio Carlos Jobim?

Uber music whore Costello with some black guy

Speaking of fine lines, U2 walks that tightrope in high fashion. Bono, you croon, but you haven't forgotten how to rock - can you teach these other dilatants some lessons?

This is why I still listen to The Clash, Echo and the Bunnymen... why I just repurchased Two Wheels Good (and yes, YES, I do own a copy of The Blue Nile's Walk Across The Rooftops - but no Howard Jones: I have limits). It's why I haven't touched Look Smart, Zenyatta Mondatta or Speaking in Tongues in over two decades.

Prefab Sprout: confuse them with the Thompson Twins at your own peril

There are other signs of hope. XTC grew but never changed their stripes. Squeeze is still fun (though I miss Jools - Eric I hope you'll weigh in here).

I remember once eating Sunday brunch in New York and sitting next to David Byrne. I don't know what that means except to segway into the fact that I once ate late night sushi in a Toronto restaurant sitting next to Geddy Lee. What's my point? Oh yeah, I was thrilled to be sitting next to the shreaker from Rush, not so pleased to be sitting with some crooner-wannabe who I used to idolize.

Same as it ever was - wasn't this guy in Beettlejuice?

A few years back it was great to see Joe Jackson abandoning George Gershwin and re-forming the Joe Jackson band (long live Graham Maby). Sting; swallow a little pride and get back with Stewart and Andy - you've been treading water for 20 years, that jazz-fusion shit is just that... a big heap of dung. David Byrne, I'll back off because your last Talking Heads records were crap anyway, but don't forget your soul - Remain in Light kicks.And The Clash? Long live The Clash. Every song sounds vital, Joe Strummer's last record is consistent and listenable.

Yo me frio o lo sophlo?

Who killed New Wave? You did Sting. I hope you're happy.

---------------------------------------------------------

Goodbye Lucille #1

Ooh johnny johnny johnny there is time for tearsOoh johnny johnny johnny you won’t make it any betterOoh johnny johnny johnny you might well make it worseOoh johnny johnny johnny I advise you to forget her

Life’s not complete till your heart’s missed a beatAnd you’ll never make it up, or turn back the clockNo you won’t, no you won’t No you won’t, no you won’t

Ooh johnny johnny johnny she is a person tooOoh johnny johnny johnny she has her own willOoh johnny johnny johnny why don’t you join the foreign legionOoh johnny johnny johnny you’re still in love with hayley mills

NI brings up some interesting points from the last comment section and I will attempt to answer his questions hereWe are basically talking about where was Theresa's point of abduction. There are two schools of thought here:

1. She was picked up near the school residence in Compton. This theory is strengthened by the statement given by Sharon Buzzee who claims she spoke with Theresa on the steps of King's Hall on the evening of November 3, 1978 at approximately 9:00 - 9:30 pm. Also, unlike most witnesses whose statements were recorded 6 months later, Buzzee's statement was given 2 -3 weeks after Theresa disappeared. Another student, Tamara Westall, says she also saw Theresa that night (in the back, in the ktichen), but Westall's statement wasn't taken until April 1979.

2. The fact that only one person saw Theresa, that the sighting was not cooberated (if you discount the Westall statement) leads others to believe that Theresa was never there that Friday. This theory contends that she was picked up in Lennoxville (across from the Lion Pub) and never seen alive again. This is the theory the police (current police) adhere to. It is a typical police method; you stick with the least-effort theory and go from there (there is a lot of effort needed to hold up the Buzzee theory).

What do I believe? I don't know, I try to keep an open mind and entertain both options. So, to NI's questions:Last April, I have visited only the parking there and seen mostly the fronts of the two buildings with its short space in between. I would appreciate some more help or your critical opinion. From a reflection about some events on November 3rd of 1978, you may know that I consider probable that the abduction may have taken place on the ground of King's Hall. If it was the case, does it link somehow to local individuals who could be related to an infamous gang? (Perhaps, a delinquent child of a local worker got or duplicated a key.)

The gang tie is possible: the Pouliot family lived down the road from Compton and a couple years later four of the brothers would be arrested for the shutgun murders of four men.

Does the King's Hall building has a basement? What was its content? Who could access it apart from the regular personal?

King's did not have a usable basement (the sub flooring was used for storage). However, King's and Gilliard ware linked by a tunnel (I assume so students didn't have to step into the cold in winter when they took their meals in the King's dining hall).

Gilliard does have a basement. It was used for storage, but also it had a laundry room for students and some activity rooms (ping-pong, etc..). FYI: that basement is waaayyy creepy. Access? Anyone having business with the school: students, admin, night watchmen... contractors? Yes, I would assume so.

Remember: the Compton residence was supposed to be this open concept in communal living where students did everything for themselves. They supervised themselves (RAs), they even cooked their own meals (I recently found my brothers "Certificate of Merit" from 1977 saying he had "survived the task of cooking in the King's Hall kitchen"). People would be able to come and go as they pleased and there wouldnot be much that students could do about it.

Is there a rear door? Does a local sub-contractor or employee was in charge of the regular outside maintenance? Did he used their equipment? Same for the inside maintenance.There are many rear doors. King's Hall is full of secret nooks and crannies. Gilliard had approx. four rear doors (there are four wings to the thing, each wing has an exit door).

Does a local person has prepared the evening lunch? How easy was the ground perimeter access for intruders? Where the security guard was posted?

Your guess. I would think security would walk the peramiter, but who knows?

Theresa was last seen at the cafeteria by Tamara Wastall at 9:30 PM approximatively. Her next move could have been a walk toward her room in Gilliard House.

Or she could have taken the tunnel, or she may have walked to the village for smokes.

If Theresa was abducted near or in between the two buildings, could such an event has taken place unnoticed, far from the window views, if the abductor(s) carries (carry) his (their) victim outside behind King's Hall or inside its basement from a rear door?

I have a real problem with her being forced into a car unnoticed by anyone. It was Friday. It had been unseasonally warm all day. People would have been active. For me, this scenerio is the stuff of movies, not reality (again, the least-effort prinicpal: attempting something like that is EXTREMELY high risk behavior, and somewhat atypical of most sexual offenders.)